Cabrera: Talented, Volatile

(Note: The A’s signed shortstop Orlando Cabrera today, an interesting move, one that will definitely improve their chances to make some noise this year. In case you missed it, here’s a repeat of my February 6 blog detailing some of Cabrera’s background)

The A’s are making a concerted effort to become a legitimate threat to the Angels, and their interest in free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera bears watching. He’s a big upgrade over Bobby Crosby in every way: defensively, with the bat and the experience factor. He also has a history of volatility that has caused him some problems over the years.

Cabrera is not a young man (34), and it’s easy to forget that he spent his first eight seasons in the relative obscurity of Montreal. But he’s a reliable line-drive hitter (.274 lifetime) who has cleared the 40-double mark four times, scored 101 runs for the Angels two years ago and contributed mightily to the Red Sox’ historic world title in 2004, hitting .379 (11-for-29, with 5 RBIs) in the ALCS against the Yankees.

Cabrera tends to turn up in the postseason. Once he left the Red Sox, he played October ball in 2005 and ’07 for the Angels, and again for last year’s White Sox. The fact that he’s no longer in Chicago speaks to his vagabond nature of recent years, and requires some explaining beyond the fact that a very promising player, Alexei Ramirez, is taking over the White Sox’ shortstop position.

Cabrera’s temper became an issue last season when he twice made phone calls to the press box during games to complain about unfavorable official scoring. He claimed he’d never done such a thing before, “because my other teams always had my back,” he said. “They don’t want to do it here.”

That comment didn’t sit well with manager Ozzie Guillen, nor did the notion that Cabrera, in a contract year, might have been more concerned with his statistics than the team. Later in the year, with the White Sox struggling, Cabrera said in a radio interview, “There are guys here that want to be clowns or be funny, but there’s a time for that and a time to get serious in a ballgame, and I don’t see that here.”

Guillen, who took that as a personal insult, responded, “To me, the problem is Orlando thinks he’s better than he really is. He acts like he played with better people, better managers, better players, like he’s doing us a favor. The thing is, be careful what you say, and you better look yourself in the mirror. Orlando is lucky that no one has called him out on this ballclub.”

Another aspect to Cabrera’s free agentry, especially if it lands him in Oakland, is his long-standing feud with Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria, a fellow countryman from Colombia. Cabrera once deeply respected Renteria, even using a Renteria-model glove, but the feud stems from disagreements over business deals along the coastal stretch connecting fashionable Cartagena, where Cabrera grew up, and Barranquilla, a rival industrial town where Renteria is from. According to an ESPN Magazine story last April, Cabrera purchased the Colombian winter league’s Cartagena franchise from Renteria’s brother (Edinson, the league president), but clashed with the Renterias over several touchy issues and sold the team back in a swirl of controversy. “I think (Cabrera) did it out of malice,” Edgar was quoted as saying. “For several years, people have told me that he’s jealous of me. People have always known me more in Colombia than him, and I think that bothers him.”

To which Cabrera responded, “These are ignorant comments from an ignorant person.”

Last season, Cabrera went to see Renteria at Detroit’s Comerica Park, but Renteria reportedly had the clubhouse attendant turn him away. Even when Cabrera attempted some small talk on the field, Renteria stared straight ahead. “I won’t accept dealing with him,” Renteria said later. “I think he’s disrespected so many people in Colombia who have been working to improve the sport. And that’s not something I can accept, even with an apology from him.”

The good news for A’s fans, should Cabrera sign with Oakland, is that there’s seldom much downside to a veteran joining the team. People feared the worst when they took on Milton Bradley and Frank Thomas, and they wound up having their best postseason of the Billy Beane era. It’s invariably a short-haul proposition, and Cabrera will likely be on his best behavior to impress his new organization and set up his career-ending strategy. Could make for a few interesting episodes in spring training and the Bay Bridge series, though.